Massachusetts Miracle: Scott Brown Wins!

I have to confess I haven’t paid close attention to the special election in Massachusetts to fill the senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy… Frankly, I didn’t think there was even the slightest chance that a Republican could win there, in fact republicans haven’t won Senate race in the Bay State since the 1970s!

A little-known Republican upended the balance of power in Washington by winning a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts, a result that imperils President Barack Obama’s top legislative priorities and augurs trouble for his party in this year’s elections.

With 75% of the vote counted, Republican Scott Brown was leading his opponent, Massachusetts’ Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley 52.7% to 46.3%, according to the Associated Press, which declared Mr. Brown the winner.

The Brown victory forces the White House and Congressional leaders into a mad scramble to decide how—or whether—to salvage their long-sought health-care overhaul. Rushing the bill after losing Massachusetts carries political risks. So does allowing it to collapse.

House Democrats Tuesday opened the door to passing the Senate version of the legislation, which the president could then sign into law. The White House has floated that idea, but it will be a hard sell. The Senate bill contains abortion, immigration and tax provisions opposed by many House members.

Scott Brown’s decisive victory in one the bluest states in the country should send a cold shiver through the hearts of Democrats… Yeah, sure, Martha Coakley ran an unfocused gaff prone campaign and I’m sure some politicians and pundits are going to wrongly try and lay the blame for this loss squarely at her feet.

Yes, her gaffs made matters worse, but the simple truth is voters sent a message to the President and Democrats on Capitol Hill today, Mr. Brown made his campaign a referendum on their policies and they lost!